Isolated FrpB nucleic acid molecule and vaccine

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes an aminoacid sequence comprising a FrpB protein. The invention also provides vaccine compositions capable of protecting a mammal against infection by  N. gonorrhoeae  or  N. meningitidis  comprising the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

This specification is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/418,964 filed Apr. 7, 1995, which is incorporated herein by reference.

This invention was made in the course of work supported by Public Health Service Grant U01 A131496 and the Genetics Curriculum training grant 5 T32 GM07092 from the National Institutes of Health. Protein sequencing performed at the UCLA Protein Microsequencing Facility was aided by a BRS Shared Instrumentation Grant (I S10RR05554-01) from the National Institutes of Health. The United States government has certain rights in this invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FrpB has been described as a 70 kD major iron-regulated, outer-membrane protein common to N. gonorrhoeae and N. menigitidis (16, 21). The iron uptake systems of N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae are similar (3, 17).

Previous studies showed that FrpB is surface exposed and immunogenic in vivo (1, 16, 41). Polyclonal and some monoclonal anti-FrpB antibodies recognize the denatured protein on Western blots of nearly all gonococcal and meningococcal isolates tested (16 and this invention). Other monoclonal antibodies directed against meningococcal FrpB are bactericidal and strain specific (41). Nevertheless, the size of FrpB appears to be well conserved.

FrpB is useful as a vaccine because of its surface exposure (1, 16, 41), partial antigenic conservation (8, 16), and susceptibility to attack by bactericidal antibodies (41). The cloning and sequencing of the frpB gene of this invention has made possible the production of a vaccine against infection in mammals by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes an amino acid sequence comprising a FrpB protein.

The invention also provides a method of producing a vaccine composition that protects a mammal from infection by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis comprising combining the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of the invention with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The invention further provides a vaccine composition capable of protecting a mammal against infection by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis, the vaccine composition comprising the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

In addition, the invention provides antibodies directed to an epitope of the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid sequence of the invention.

The invention also provides a method of detecting an antibody specific for N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis in a sample comprising contacting the sample with a FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid sequence of the invention under conditions to form a complex between the polypeptide and the antibody; and detecting any complex so formed.

Furthermore, the invention provides a method of treating a mammal infected by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis comprising administering to the mammal an antibody of the invention, wherein the antibody is directed to an epitope of an N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis FrpB protein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 Oligonucleotide MB.3 is shown 3′ to 5′ and corresponds to non-coding strand. The frpB sequence presented in this figure is deposited with GenBank under the accession number U13980.

FIG. 2 Restriction map of frpB clones. The position of the frpB ORF is indicated below the physical map by the stippled box. Only relevant cloning sites are shown C, Cla I; D, Dra I; E, EcoR I; M, Mlu I. Also shown is the position of oligonucleotide MB.3, which was deduced from the amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the mature protein.

FIG. 3 Nucleotide sequence of the gonococcal frpB gene from strain FA19. Single letter codes for deduced amino acid sequence are shown below the nucleotide sequence. Asterisk indicates termination codon. Solid bar below nucleotide sequence indicates putative Fur box. Putative-10 and -35 sequences are boxed. RBS indicates ribosome binding site. Solid triangle shows Bgl I site of Ω insertion. Vertical arrow indicates signal peptidase I cleavage site. Inverted horizontal arrows indicate inverted repeat.

FIG. 4 Southern-blot analysis of FA19 and FA6807 DNA. Panel A was probed with pUNCH319-specific fragment. Panel B was probed with the Ω fragment. Lanes 1 contain FA19 DNA digested with HincII and lanes 2 contain FA6807 DNA digested with HincII. Ω fragment is 2 kb. Molecular weight markers are shown in kilobases (kB).

FIG. 5 Western blot of FA19 and FA6807 membranes. Blot was probed with anti-FrpB monoclonal antibody, W.6. Lanes 1 and 2 are FA19; lanes 3 and 4 are FA6807. Lanes 1 and 3 contain total membranes prepared from iron-sufficient cultures; lanes 2 and 4 contain total membranes from iron-deficient cultures. Approximate locations of molecular mass standards are indicated at left in kilodaltons.

FIG. 6 Growth of FA19 and FA6807 in CDM in the presence of variable concentrations of aerobactin. Graph A represents FA19; graph B represents FA6807. (filled-in Δ), 100 uM citrate; (▪), 2.5 uM Tf; (Δ), 3 uM aerobactin; (●), 1 uM aerobactin; (□), 0.3 uM aerobactin; and (◯), no iron source.

FIG. 7 ⁵⁵Fe uptake from ⁵⁵Fe-heme and ⁵⁵Fe-Tf. Solid columns represent mean uptake from heme and open columns represent mean uptake from Tf. 100% uptake determined from average FA19 uptake experiment. Standard deviations are indicated by error bars. Genotypes are FA19 wild type, FA6807 (frpB), and FA6747 (tpbA).

FIG. 8 Reconstruction of frpB in pACYC184. Relevant sites are B, BamH I; C, Cla I; D, Dra I; M, Mlu I; and X, Xba I. Solid arrow represents chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (Cm), stripped arrow represents tetracycline resistance gene (Tc), solid bar represents pACYC184 origin of replication (Ori), stippled boxes represent frpB coding sequences, stippled arrow indicates entire frpB coding regions, open boxes represent DNA 5′ and 3′ of frpB. frpB′ and frpB″ represent partial frpB coding sequences.

FIG. 9 Growth of RK1065 (pACYC184) and RK1065 (pUNCH331) on heme plates. Plate 1 contains heme only. Plate 2 contains heme and d-aminolevulinic acid. A is RK1065 (pACYC184) and B is RK1065 (pUNCH331). Antibiotic discs are E., erythromyocin; N, novobiocin; and R, rifampicin.

FIG. 10 Nucleotide sequence of the gonococcal frpB gene from strain FA1090. The three letter codes for deduced amino acid sequence are shown below the nucleotide sequence. Three asterisks indicate termination codon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes an amino acid sequence comprising at least a portion of a FrpB protein. In one embodiment of this invention, the isolated nucleic acid molecule is DNA. In other embodiments of this invention, the isolated nucleic acid molecule is cDNA or RNA. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the isolated nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence that is the same as or substantially the same as at least a portion of the nucleotide sequence shown in FIG. 3. In a more preferred embodiment, the isolated nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence that is the same as the nucleotide sequence shown in FIG. 3.

The invention also provides a FrpB protein comprising the amino acid sequence encoded by the isolated nucleic acid molecules described above. Preferably, the amino acid sequence encodes an antigenic, and more preferably, an immunogenic FrpB. As used herein, antigenic means that the FrpB induces specific antibodies in a mammal, and immunogenic means that the FrpB induces an immune response in a mammal.

As used herein, the term “FrpB” means Fe-regulated protein B and encompasses any polypeptide having an amino acid sequence identical, or substantially identical, to the amino acid sequence of a naturally-occurring FrpB, as well as antigenic fragments thereof. The FrpB nucleic acid and amino acid sequences in the various strains of N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis are homologous, but exhibit slight differences in their sequences, for example, the nucleic acid and amino acid differences between the homologous strains FA19 and FA1090 shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10, respectively.

In addition, FrpB encompasses equivalent antigenic polypeptides whose amino acid sequence varies from a naturally-occurring FrpB by one or more amino acid, either internally such as a point mutation, or by addition or deletion at the COOH terminus or NH₂ terminus or both. An amino acid sequence that is substantially the same as another sequence, but that differs from the other sequence by one or more substitutions, additions and/or deletions, is considered to be an equivalent sequence. Preferably, less than 25%, more preferably less than 10%, and most preferably less than 5% of the number of amino acid residues in a sequence are substituted for, added to, or deleted from the proteins of the invention.

For example, it is known to substitute amino acids in a sequence with equivalent amino acids. Groups of amino acids generally considered to be equivalent are:

-   -   (a) Ala(A) Ser(S) Thr(T) Pro(P) Gly(G);     -   (b) Asn(N) Asp(D) Glu(E) Gln(O);     -   (c) His(H) Arg(R) Lys(K);     -   (d) Met(M) Leu(L) Ile(I) Val(V); and     -   (e) Phe(F) Tyr(Y) Trp(W).

Such FrpB equivalents include analogs that induce an immune response in a mammal comparable to that of natural FrpB. In addition, such equivalents are immunologically cross-reactive with their corresponding FrpB protein.

A FrpB protein fragment preferably contains sufficient amino acid residues to define an epitope of the antigen. The fragment may, for example, be a minigene encoding only the epitope. Methods for isolating and identifying immunogenic fragments from known immunogenic proteins are described by Salfeld et al. (72) and by Isola et al. (73).

If the fragment defines a suitable epitope, but is too short to be immunogenic, it may be conjugated to a carrier molecule. Some suitable carrier molecules include keyhole limpet hemocyanin, Ig sequences, TrpE, and human or bovine serum albumen. Conjugation may be carried out by methods known in the art. One such method is to combine a cysteine residue of the fragment with a cysteine residue on the carrier molecule.

In a preferred embodiment, FrpB of FA19 is or is an equivalent of the approximately 73 kD outer membrane FrpB protein that is part of the iron regulon of Neisseria gonorrhoeae or of Neisseria meningitidis. Determinations whether two amino acid sequences are substantially homologous may be based on FASTA searches in accordance with Pearson and Lipman (74).

The FrpB of the present invention may be prepared by methods known in the art. Such methods include, for example, (a) isolating FrpB directly from Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Neisseria meningitidis; and (b) using the nucleic acid molecule of the invention encoding FrpB to produce recombinant FrpB.

(a) Direct Isolation of FrpB:

The FrpB may be isolated directly from Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Neisseria meningitidis by methods known in the art. First, gonococcal or meningococcal outer membranes are isolated and prepared by known methods. The methods described by West and Sparling (75) and by Schryvers and Morris (76) are suitable.

The isolated membrane FrpB proteins or fragments may be solubilized by known methods, such as the addition of detergents. Commonly used detergents include Octyl-B-Glucoside, Chaps, Zwittergent 3.14 or Triton-X. The use of detergents to enhance solubility of membrane proteins is described by Jones et al. (77), Helenius et al. (78), and Hjelmeland and Chrambach (79).

The FrpB proteins or fragments are isolated from the solubilized membrane fraction by standard methods. Some suitable methods include precipitation and liquid chromatographic protocols such as ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction and gel filtration. See, for example, Methods Enzymol. (80) and Scopes (81).

Purified material may also be obtained by separating the protein or fragment on preparative SDS-PAGE gels, slicing out the band of interest and electroeluting the protein from the polyacrylamide matrix by methods known in the art. The detergent SDS is removed from the protein by known methods, such as by dialysis or the use of a suitable column, such as the Extracti-Gel column from Pierce.

(b) Using Nucleic Acid Molecule of the Invention to Produce FrpB:

Alternatively, recombinant methods known in the art may be used for preparing FrpB. For example, FrpB may be produced from the isolated or synthesized nucleic acid molecule of the invention that encodes at least a portion of FrpB; cloning the DNA in a suitable host; expressing the DNA in the host; and harvesting FrpB. (See Sambrook et al. (82)).

Using standard methods of nucleic acid isolation, DNA can be obtained from strains that have been deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Md. FA1090 (ATCC Accession No.) was deposited on Apr. 8, 1996, in accordance with the Budapest Treaty. Strain FA19 (ATCC Accession No. 55073) was deposited earlier on Jul. 12, 1996, also in accordance with the Budapest Treaty.

The DNA may also be synthesized chemically from the four nucleotides in whole or in part by methods known, in the art. Such methods include those described by Caruthers in Science 230, 281-285 (1985).

If necessary a full length DNA may also be produced by preparing overlapping double-stranded oligonucleotides, filling in the gaps, and ligating the ends together. The DNA may be cloned in a suitable host cell and expressed. The DNA and protein may be recovered from the host cell. See, generally, Sambrook et al, “Molecular Cloning,” Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1987).

The invention provides a vector which comprises the nucleic acid molecule described above which encodes an amino acid sequence comprising at least a portion of FrpB. Suitable vectors comprise, but are not limited to, a plasmid or a virus. This vector may be transfected into a suitable host cell to form a host vector system for the production of FrpB or of a polypeptide having the biological activity of at least a portion of a FrpB antigenic polypeptide.

Cloning vectors may comprise segments of chromosomal, non-chromosomal and synthetic DNA sequences. Some suitable prokaryotic vectors include plasmids from E, coli, such as colE1, pCR1, pBR322, RMB9, and RP4. Prokaryotic vectors also include derivatives of phage DNA such as M13, f1, and other filamentous single-stranded DNA phages.

Vectors for expressing proteins in bacteria, especially E. coli, are also known. Such vectors include pK233 (or any of the tac family of plasmids), T7, and lambda P_(L). Examples of vectors that express fusion proteins include the PATH vectors described by Dieckmann and Tzagoloff (83). These vectors contain DNA sequences that encode anthranilate synthetase (TrpE) followed by a polylinker at the carboxy terminus. Other expression vector systems are based on beta-galactosidase (pEX); maltose binding protein (pMAL); and glutathione S-transferase (pGST)—see Gene (84) and Peptide Research (85).

Vectors useful in yeast are available. A suitable example is the 2μ plasmid.

Suitable vectors for use in mammalian cells are also known. Such vectors include well-known derivatives of SV-40, adenovirus, retrovirus-derived DNA sequences and vectors derived from combination of plasmids and phage DNA.

Further eukaryotic expression vectors are known in the art (e.g., P. J. Southern and P. Berg (86); S. Subramani et al (87); R. J. Kaufmann and P. A. Sharp (88); S. I. Scahill et al (89); G. Urlaub and L. A. Chasin (90).

The expression vectors preferably contain at least one expression control sequence that is operatively linked to the DNA sequence or fragment to be expressed. The control sequence is inserted in the vector in order to control and to regulate the expression of the cloned DNA sequence. Examples of useful expression control sequences are the lac system, the trp system, the tac system, the trc system, major operator and promoter regions of phage lambda, the control region of f1 coat protein, the glycolytic promoters of yeast, e.g., the promoter for 3-phosphoglycerate kinase, the promoters of yeast acid phosphatase, e.g., Pho5, the promoters of the yeast alpha-mating factors, and promoters derived from polyoma, adenovirus, retrovirus, and simian virus, e.g., the early and late promoters or SV40, and other sequences known to control the expression of genes of prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells and their viruses or combinations thereof.

Suitable expression hosts include well-known prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Some suitable prokaryotic hosts include, for example, E. coli, such as E. coli SG-936, E. coli HB 101, E. coli W3110, E. coli X1776, E. coli X2282, E. coli DHI, and E. coli MRCI, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, such as Bacillus subtilis, and Streptomyces. Suitable eukaryotic cells include yeasts and other fungi, insect, animal cells, such as COS cells and CHO cells, human cells and plant cells in tissue culture.

Vaccines

FrpB encoded by a nucleic acid molecule of this invention has particular utility as a vaccine that protects a mammal from infection by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis, since the FrpB unexpectedly induces an effective immune response when presented to the immune system that protects from or prevents infection by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis. To protect from infection by N. gonorrhoeae, the FrpB is preferably substantially the same, as defined above, as at least a portion of the FrpB of N. gonorrhoeae. To protect from infection by N. meningitidis, the FrpB is preferably substantially the same, as defined above, as at least a portion of the FrpB of N. meningitidis. The immune response may also produce a therapeutic effect in an already infected mammal. The mammal is preferably a human.

The invention provides a vaccine composition which comprises the FrpB protein encoded by a nucleic acid of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, such as saline, sterile water, phosphate buffered saline solution, liposomes and emulsions. Other buffering and dispersing agents and inert non-toxic substances suitable for delivery to a mammal may be incorporated in the vaccine composition and are well known to those skilled in the art. The compositions may be sterilized by conventional sterilization techniques.

Adjuvants, which facilitate stimulation of the host's immune response, may be used in the vaccine compositions. Such adjuvants may include, for example, muramyl peptides, lymphokines, such as interferon, interleukin-1 and interleukin-6, or bacterial adjuvants. The adjuvant may comprise suitable particles onto which the mutant or wild-type FrpB protein is adsorbed, such as aluminum oxide particles. These vaccine compositions containing adjuvants may be prepared as is known in the art.

The concentration of FrpB in the composition may vary depending on, for example, fluid volume or antigenicity, and in accordance with the particular mode of administraton chosen.

The invention further provides a method of protecting a mammal against-infection by N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis comprising administering to the mammal the vaccine composition of the invention. The vaccine may be administered to a mammal by methods known in the art. Such methods include, for example, oral, intravenous, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intramuscular, topical, or intradermal administration.

This invention also provides a method of producing the above vaccine composition by combining FrpB with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and preferably, also with an adjuvant, gas defined above.

FrpB Antibodies

The invention provides antibodies raised against FrpB epitopes encoded by at least a portion of the isolated nucleic acid sequence of the invention. The antibodies are preferably monoclonal. Monoclonal antibodies may be produced by methods known in the art. These methods include the immunological method described by Kohler and Milstein (91) and the recombinant DNA method described by Huse et al. (92).

Mammals infected with N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis may be treated by administering an antibody of the invention. Preferably, an antibody raised against a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence present in N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis is preferred.

For therapeutic purposes, the antibodies are preferably neutralizing antibodies that significantly inhibit the growth of or kill the bacterial cells in vitro or in vivo: Growth of the bacteria is significantly inhibited in vivo if the inhibition or neutralization is sufficient to prevent or reduce the symptoms of the disease of a mammal infected with the disease.

Neutralizing antibodies may also be used to produce anti-idiotypic antibodies useful as vaccines for immunizing mammals infected with N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis. Anti-idiotypic antibodies are prepared in accordance with methods known in the art.

Detecting FrpB Using Probes

The invention also provides a method of detecting FrpB in a sample using a probe specific for a FrpB polypeptide. The probe may be an antibody described above. Methods are known for detecting polypeptides with antibodies. For example, a polypeptide may be immobilized on a solid support. Immobilization of the polypeptide may occur through an immobilized first antibody specific for the polypeptide. The immobilized first antibody is incubated with a sample suspected of containing the polypeptide. If present, the polypeptide binds to the first antibody.

A second antibody, also specific for the polypeptide, binds to the immobilized polypeptide. The second antibody may be labeled by methods known in the art. Non-immobilized materials are washed away, and the presence of immobilized label indicates the presence of the polypeptide. This and other immunoassays are described by David, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,110 assigned to Hybritech, Inc., La Jolla, Calif.

The probe may also be a nucleic acid molecule that recognizes a FrpB nucleic acid molecule of the invention. Methods for determining whether a nucleic acid molecule probe recognizes a specific nucleic acid molecule in a sample are known in the art. Generally, a labeled probe that is complementary to a nucleic acid sequence suspected of being in a sample is prepared. The presence of probe hybridized to the target nucleic acid molecule indicates the presence of the nucleic acid molecule. Suitable methods are described by Schneider et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,269, which is assigned to Princeton University, and by Segev in PCT Application WO 90/01069, which is assigned to ImClone Systems Incorporated.

The probes described above are labeled in accordance with methods known in the art. Methods for labeling antibodies have been described, for example, by Hunter and Greenwood (93) and by David et al. (94). Additional methods for labeling antibodies have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,940,475 and 3,645,090. Methods for labeling oligonucleotide probes have been described, for example, by Leary et al (95); Renz and Kurz (96); Richardson and Gumport (97); Smith et al. (98); and Meinkoth and Wahl (99).

The label may be radioactive. Some examples of useful radioactive labels include ³²p, ¹²⁵I, ¹³¹I, and ³H. Use of radioactive labels have been described in U.K. 2,034,323, U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,535, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,204.

Some examples of non-radioactive labels include enzymes, chromophors, atoms and, molecules detectable by electron microscopy, and metal ions detectable by their magnetic properties.

Some useful enzymatic labels include enzymes that cause a detectable change in a substrate. Some useful enzymes and their substrates include, for example, horseradish peroxidase (pyrogallol and o-phenylenediamine), beta-galactosidase (fluorescein beta-D-galactopyranoside), and alkaline phosphatase (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate/nitro blue tetrazolium). The use of enzymatic labels have been described in U.K. 2,019,404, EP 63,879, and by Rotman (100).

Useful chromophores include, for example, fluorescent, chemiluminescent, and bioluminescent molecules, as well as dyes. Some specific chromophores useful in the present invention include, for example, fluorescein, rhodamine, Texas red, phycoerythrin, umbelliferone, and luminol.

The labels may be conjugated to the antibody or nucleotide probe by methods that are well known in the art. The labels may be directly attached through a functional group on the probe. The probe either contains or can be caused to contain such a functional group. Some examples of suitable functional groups include, for example, amino, carboxyl, sulfhydryl, maleimide isocyanate, isothiocyanate.

The label may also be conjugated to the probe by means of a ligand attached to the probe by a method described above and a receptor for that ligand attached to the label. Any of the known ligand-receptor combinations is suitable. The biotin-avidin combination is preferred.

The polypeptide of the invention may be used to detect the presence of antibodies specific for N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis in a sample. The method comprises preparing a polypeptide containing a segment having an amino acid sequence that is substantially the same as a FrpB from either N. gonorrhoeae to detect antibodies to N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis to detect antibodies to N. meningitidis. The polypeptide may be prepared as described above.

The sample may, for example, be from a patient suspected of being infected with N. gonorrhoeae or N. meningitidis. Suitable assays are known in the art, such as the standard ELISA protocol described by R. H. Kenneth (101).

Briefly, plates are coated with antigenic polypeptide at a concentration sufficient to bind detectable amounts of the antibody. After incubating the plates with the polypeptide, the plates are blocked with a suitable blocking agent, such as, for example, 10% normal goat serum. The sample, such as patient sera, is added and titered to determine the endpoint. Positive and negative controls are added simultaneously to quantitate the amount of relevant antibody present in the unknown samples. Following incubation, the samples are probed with goat anti-human Ig conjugated to a suitable enzyme. The presence of anti-polypeptide antibodies in the sample is indicated by the presence of the enzyme.

The following Examples section is set forth to aid in an understanding of the invention. This section is not intended to, and should not be construed to, limit in any way the invention as set forth in the claims which follow thereafter.

EXAMPLES

Strains and growth conditions. Bacterial strains used in this experiment are described in Table 1. Neisseria strains were routinely cultured on GCB media (Difco Laboratories) containing Kellogg's supplements I and II (29) and grown overnight at 35° C. in an atmosphere of 5% CO₂. Antibiotic selection employed chloramphenicol at 1 μg/ml for mTn3(Cm)(51) mutagenized strains and streptomycin at 100 μg/ml for Ω (44) mutagenized strains.

For western blot analysis of total membrane proteins of iron-stressed gonococci, cells were grown in CDM as previously described (13). Cultures were made iron replete as indicated by the addition of 100 μM ferric citrate.

E. coli strains were routinely cultured on Luria-Bertani (LB) media (47). Antibiotic selection was 100 μg/ml ampicillin, 100 μg/ml streptomycin, 40 μg/ml kanamycin, and/or 30 μg/ml cholramphenicol. δ-aminolevulinic acid was used at 30 μg/ml and heme at 50 μg/ml. E coli cultures were iron stressed by the addition of 200 μM 2,2-diyridyl (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.). Deferoxamine mesylate (desferal) was obtained from Ciba-Geigy (Basel, Switzerland).

SDS-PAGE and Western Blotting. SDS-PAGE was performed in 7.5% polyacrylamide resolving gel and 4.5% polyacrylamide stacking gel. Electrophoresis was carried out at either 40 mA for one gel, or 80 mA for two gels in the discontinuous buffer system of Laemmli (32). Transfer and development were as described previously (23,61).

Preparation of polyclonal antisera and monoclonal antibodies. Preparation of polyclonal antisera was described previously (8). Anti-FrpB monoclonal antibodies were generated by methods described previously (60).

DNA isolation, digestion, and Southern blot analysis. Chromosomal DNA was purified by CsC1-gradient centrifugation according to the methods of Stern et al. (54). Plasmids were purified by either CsC1 centrifugation or according to the instructions provided in the Magic Miniprep™ DNA Purification Kit (Promega; Madison Wis.). Southern blotting and DNA hybridizations were performed as previously described (13). Restriction enzymes, Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I, and T4 DNA ligase were purchased from New England Biolabs (Beverly, Mass.) or Bethesda Research Laboratories (Gaithersburg, Md.) and were used according to the manufacturer's specifications. λ-ZapII and pBluescript II SK+ were obtained from Stratagene (La Jolla, A).

DNA sequencing and sequence analysis. CsCl-purified pUNCH319 and pUNCH325 were used as templates for double-stranded DNA sequencing (31) using United States Biochemical Sequenase and the dideoxy chain termination procedure of Sanger et al. (48). Both dG-, and dl-labeling reactions were carried out for all primers. Both strands of pUNCH319 were sequenced using vector-specific or insert-specific primers. Exonuclease III/Exo VII nested deletions (40) were generated from the Mlu end of pUNCH325 and vector-specific primers were used to sequence individual deletion clones. Internal primers were used to sequence gaps between clones as well as the opposite strand. DNA sequences were analyzed with the Genetics Computer Group software package-(15) (University of Wisconsin).

Mutagenesis and gonococcal transformation. pHP45 Ω (44) was used to insertionally inactivate frpB. pUNCH321 was digested with Bgl I and ends were repaired with Klenow. pHP45 Ω was digested with Sma I and the 2.0 kb Ω fragment was isolated from an agarose gel according to the instructions provided in the Geneclean II® Kit (Bio 101 Inc. La Jolla, Calif.). Transformation of plasmid DNA into FA19 was as previously described (7).

Preparation of FrpB for amino-terminal sequence analysis. N-lauroylsarcosine (Sigma) insoluble membrane fractions were prepared from iron-stressed gonococcal strain UU1008 and protein concentration was determined by a bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA) (Pierce, Rockford, Ill.). Two hundred micrograms of protein was loaded into a preparative well of a 7.5% SDS-polyacryamide gel, poured 24 hours previously to permit TEMED (N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) and APS (ammonium persulfate) to evaporate. Electrophoresis was carried out at 40 mA constant current using the discontinuous buffer system of Laemmli (32). The gel was soaked for 15 minutes in transfer buffer (13) before transferring. PVDF (polyvinylidene difluoride) membrane was placed in 100% methanol for two seconds, transferred to distilled deionized water (ddH₂O) for five minutes, and soaked in transfer buffer for 10 minutes prior to transfer. Transfer was for three and a half hours at 90 mA in a submerged trans-blot apparatus (BioRad, Richmond, Calif.). Subsequent to transfer, the PVDF membrane was stained for five minutes in 0.1% Coomassie Brilliant Blue, 20% methanol, and 10% acetic acid to visualize proteins and destained for 10 minutes in ddH2O with one change. Filter was frozen at −20° C. overnight. FrpB was identified by molecular weight and the amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein on the filter was determined by the Protein Microsequencing Facility at UCLA.

⁴⁵Fe uptake assays. Data were compiled from three individual experiments performed in triplicate on separate days. Gonococci were iron stressed as previously reported (2) prior to experimentation. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of whole-cell lysates were routinely performed to determine that cultures were consistently and equivalently iron stressed, as evidenced by reactivity with anti-FrpB monoclonal antibody and/or anti-Tbp1 antisera. Iron-uptake assays were performed as previously reported (9) with the following modifications. Filters were blocked just prior to experimentation with 30 μl, 10 mg/ml BSA in 1XCDM. Assays were performed in 200 μl volumes in 96 well filtration plates (MAHV Millipore, Bedford, Mass.) at 35° C. in a 5% CO₂ atmosphere. Potassium cyanide was dissolved in 1XCDM. The vacuum manifold was from Millipore Multiscreen Assay System. Heme was used at 0.5 μM, transferrin at 6.25 μM, and citrate at 100 μM. Membranes were air dried overnight, and the Millipore punch kit was used to separate and collect individual filters prior to counting. Data were expressed as counts per minute per μg of protein.

Preparation of aerobactin and enterobactin. Purified aerobactin and enterobactin were the generous gift of P. E. Klebba. Aerobactin was ferrated as follows. Ferric sulfate was dissolved to 4 mM in 50 ml ddH₂O containing 1.5 μl HCl. 400 μl mM aerobactin was added to 400 μl 4 mM ferric sulfate and 80 μl 0.5M Na₂HPO₄. The ferri-aerobactin was run over a CM-cellulose (Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) column equilibrated in 0.05M Na₂HPO₄. The final concentration of aerobactin was determined by reading the absorbance at 400 nM (24).

Iron sources. Human transferrin, human lactoferrin, bovine heme, human hemoglobin, and human haptoglobin were obtained from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, Mo.). ⁵⁵Fe hemin was purchased from the custom synthesizing facility at NEN Products Dupont (Wilmington, Del.) lot number FE55.1193RS. Transferrin, lactoferrin, and citrate were ferrated with ⁵⁵FeC1 as previously described (36).

RNase assay. The RNase assay was performed as previously described (71), except 0.1N HCl was used instead of 0.5N HCl.

Hemin affinity purification. Hemin agarose was purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, Mo.). The method of affinity purification was described by Lee (33).

Bactericidal assays. Bactericidal assays were performed as described previously (18).

Cloning the gonococcal frpB gene. Sarcosyl insoluble membrane fractions from gonococcal strain UU1008 were used to obtain FrpB N-terminal amino acid sequence (see above). A degenerate oligonucleotide containing inosine (designated MB.3, shown in FIG. 1) was deduced from this sequence and used to probe a Southern blot of FA19 chromosomal DNA. Each restriction digest contained a single hybridizing band. A 5.8 kb Dra I fragment was chosen for further analysis.

A λ-ZapII library containing EcoRI-linkered FA19 chromosomal Dra I fragments (2) was screened with oligo MB.3. Approximately one positive plaque was identified for every 10,000 plaques screened. Attempts to excise the phagemid containing the intact insert consistently resulted in deletion products smaller than pBluescript II SK⁺ alone. Since such a large chromosomal fragment potentially contained both the frpB promoter and entire frpB coding sequence and that the expression of FrpB might be toxic in E. coli, smaller fragments were subcloned into pBluescript II SK⁺.

DNA prepared from one of the positively hybridized plaques, % frpB-4 (FIG. 2), was digested with EcoRI to release the insert DNA. The expected 5.8 kb fragment was isolated from an agarose gel and further digested with Cla I to generate a 540 bp, MB.3-hybridizing fragment and an approximately 5.3 kb fragment which did not hybridize to MB.3. The smaller fragment ligated into pBluescript II SK+ was stable in E. coli DH5αMCR and was designated pUNCH319. The larger fragment ligated into pBluescript II SK⁺ generated pUNCH320. pUNCH320 caused E. coli DH5αMCR to grow poorly and appeared to be severely restricted in copy number. These data suggested that other sequences located 3′ of frpB may also be toxic to E. coli and that further subcloning was necessary to obtain stable clones. Digestion of pUNCH320 with Mlu I and EcoR I released fragments of approximately 1.0 kb and 1.5 kb, leaving a 2.8 kb Cla I-Mlu I fragment attached to pBluescript II SK⁺. This 5.8 kb fragment (vector plus 2.8 kb Cla I-Mlu I insert) was subsequently isolated, treated with Klenow, and re-ligated to itself to generate pUNCH325. DH5αMCR (pUNCH325) transformants were stable and the plasmid copy number apparently normal.

Nucleotide sequence and analysis of frpB. PCR amplification of chromosomal DNA followed by sequence analysis of clones confirmed the Cla I junction between pUNCH319 and pUNCH325. The combined nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence from pUNCH319 and pUNCH325 are shown in FIG. 3. Putative promoter sequences were located upstream of a well conserved Fur box (4). A string of nine cytosine residues was noted between the putative-10 and -35 RNA-polymerase binding sites. A Shine-Dalgarno sequence starting at nucleotide 307 and ending at nucleotide 310 (FIG. 3), was located six bases before an ATG codon, the start of a 1,925 bp open reading frame (ORF). This ORF encoded a protein of 713 amino acids. The predicted protein contained a typical signal sequence and characteristic Ala-X-Ala, signal peptidase I cleavage site. The first ten amino acids adjacent to the cleavage site were identical to the peptide sequence obtained from the mature FrpB protein. A classical TonB box was noted at residues 32-36. The mature protein had a calculated molecular weight of 76.6 kD and an isoelectric point of 10.38. The sequence downstream of the ORF revealed an inverted repeat but no string of T residues characteristic of rho-independent transcription termination (69). The protein terminated with an aromatic residue preceded by nine alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids. This structure is typical of many bacterial outer membrane proteins sequenced to date (58).

GenBank homologies. Comparison of FrpB with other sequences in GenBank revealed some interesting homologies. Several regions of the predicted FrpB protein shared similarity with regions identified in other proteins as potentially important for membrane localization and/or TonB interaction. Localized homology was found between FrpB and the family of TonB-dependent outer membrane receptor proteins including BtuB (25) and FepA (35) of E. coli and between Tbp1 (13) and IroA (42) of Neisseria species. This similarity was limited to the highly conserved domains (13), and suggested that FrpB may also be a TonB-dependent receptor. More similarity was found with HemR, the hemin receptor of Yersinia enterocolitica (55). HemR is an iron-regulated, outer membrane protein that is also a member of the family of TonB-dependent receptor proteins. Overall the two proteins were 26% identical and 48% similar. The most notable similarity was seen with CopB, a major outer membrane protein of Maraxella catarrhalis (26). Overall FrpB and CopB were 52% identical and 71% similar.

Transposon mutagenesis of frpB. In order to construct FrpB mutants, the gonococcal insert in pUNCH319 was ligated into pUP1(19), creating pUNCH321. The Ω fragment from pHP45 Ω was ligated into a unique Bgl I site in pUNCH321 (Insertion site shown in FIG. 3). This DNA was reintroduced into the chromosome of gonococcal strain FA19 by transformation and allelic replacement, creating FA6807. Southern blot analysis of chromosomal DNA from FA19 and FA6807 indicated that a 450 bp, MB.3-hybridizing, HincII fragment present in the parent was missing in FA6807 and a new reactive band of approximately 2.5 kb was present (FIG. 4, panel A). An identical blot (FIG. 4, panel B) probed with Q, only hybridized to the 2.5 kb fragment in FA6807. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot analysis with anti-FrpB monoclonal antibody W.6, confirmed that FrpB was absent from this strain (FIG. 5).

The Ω insertion in frpB was also introduced into FA6747 (tbpA::mTn3(Cm)) by transformation and allelic replacement creating FA6808. The FrpB⁻/Tbp1⁻ phenotype of FA6808 was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. This strain was used for FrpB function analysis as described below.

Utilization of iron sources. In an attempt to determine the function that FrpB plays in iron utilization, FA19 and FA6807 were grown in chemically-defined media (CDM) lacking iron. Aliquots of iron-stressed cultures were plated onto CDM agarose containing 10M Desferal and GC base agar containing 50 μM Desferal. Sterile 3 mm discs containing either citrate, transferrin, lactoferrin, heme, hemoglobin, or hemoglobin bound to haptoglobin were positioned around each plate. One disc without any added iron source was added as a negative control. After overnight incubation, growth of both strains was evident around all discs except the negative control.

N. gonorrhoeae can utilize aerobactin (67) and enterobactin (45) as iron sources. To determine if FrpB functioned as either an aerobactin or enterobactin receptor, FA19, FA6808, FA6747, KDF541, KDF541/pABN6, and BN1071 (Table 1) were iron stressed in CDM as above and plated onto CDM agarose containing 2.5 μM 30% iron-saturated transferring FA6747 and FA6808 could not use Tf as an iron source because they lacked Tbp1, therefore these strains could grow only in the presence of a functional high-affinity siderophore receptor. Three sterile discs were positioned around each plate. Either 30% saturated lactoferrin (positive control for gonococcal viability) or filter-sterilized, iron-free supernatant from LG1315 pCoIV (aerobactin producer) or AN102 (enterobactin hyper-producer) were added to each disk. After overnight incubation, E. coli controls grew as expected suggesting that both siderophores were efficient at stripping iron from transferrin, the sole iron source provided in the media. FA19 grew over the entire transferrin plate as expected, however, growth of FA6808 and FA6747 was only evident around the lactoferrin disks, suggesting that the cells were viable but unable to use aerobactin or enterobactin under these conditions.

Aerobactin utilization by FA19 and FA6807 was further evaluated in chemically-defined, liquid media, employing various concentrations of purified ferri-aerobactin (FIG. 6). The aerobactin receptor-negative E. coli strain KDF541 and aerobactin receptor-positive E. coli strain KDF541 (pABN6) were used as controls. These data suggested that N. gonorrhoeae FA19 and FA6807 used ferri-aerobactin similarly and in a concentration-dependent fashion analogous to the aerobactin receptor-negative E. coli control. Growth stimulation of gonococci by ferri-aerobactin required relatively high concentrations (3 μM) and never attained a density equivalent to that of the Tf or citrate controls. These experiments confirmed the ability of gonococci to utilize ferri-aerobactin as an iron source in vitro but showed that this ability was not dependent upon a high-affinity receptor-mediated event.

⁵⁵Fe uptake from hemin, Tf, and citrate. Because of the high degree of similarity between HemR, a known hemin receptor in Y. enterocolitica and FrpB, it was analyzed whether a quantitative difference in ⁵⁵Fe uptake from hemin could be detected between FA19 and FA6807. Uptake of ⁵⁵Fe from transferrin by FA19, FA6807, and the Tbp1 mutant FA6747 were used as controls. The results indicated that while ⁵⁵Fe uptake from transferrin was approximately wild type in FA6807(P=0.826), ⁵⁵Fe uptake from hemin was reduced by approximately 60% (P<0.001)(FIG. 7). Surprisingly, ⁵⁵Fe uptake from hemin was also significantly reduced in FA6747 (P<0.001). To determine whether the inability to use ⁵⁵Fe from hemin was specific to FA6807(FrpB-) and FA6747 (Tbp1-), ⁵⁵Fe uptake from hemin was assayed in other well-characterized, gonococcal mutants specifically altered in the expression of other iron-repressible proteins. The Tbp2 and Lbp⁻ strains, FA6819 and FA6775 respectively, were also reduced in ⁵⁵Fe internalization from hemin (P<0.001). These data suggested that either more than one protein was involved in the internalization of hemin iron or the notable decrease in hemin-iron uptake in these mutants resulted from unanticipated, non-specific effects of each of these mutations on a separate membrane-bound, heme-iron-uptake system.

Reconstruction of frpB in pACYC184 and functional complementation of RK1065(hemA). In an attempt to determine if FrpB could function as a heme receptor, an E. coli hemA mutant was complemented with FrpB. Although expression of FrpB from the high copy-number vector pBluescript II SK⁺ was toxic to E. coli, expression from the low copy-number vector pACYC184 was tolerated. The frpB reconstruction strategy is outlined in FIG. 8. Briefly, the insert from pUNCH319 was ligated into the Cla I and BamH I sites of pACYC184, generating pUNCH330. pUNCH330 was digested with Cla I and the gel-purified Cla I-Xba I fragment from pUNCH325 was ligated into this site as follows. After ligating for four hours, Klenow was added to the ligation mixture for 30 minutes at room temperature to repair non-ligated Cla I and Xba I ends. The reaction was further ligated overnight. The frpB clone in pACYC184 was designated pUNCH331. FrpB expression from pUNCH331 was iron repressible, suggesting regulation by E. coli Fur.

RK1065 is an E. coli hemA mutant which is unable to synthesize or internalize heme (27). Growth stimulation requires either δ-aminolevulinic acid, or heme and a functional heme receptor. Transformation of pUNCH331 into RK1065 supported growth on heme plates, whereas pACYC184 alone did not (FIG. 9). An Rnase leakage assay was performed to determine if FrpB expression altered the E. coli outer membrane, thereby allowing heme to simply diffuse into the cell (71). The E. coli strains C386 and HB101 containing pEBH21 were used as positive and negative controls respectively. No difference in leakiness was detected between RK1065 (pACYC184) and RK1065 (pUNCH331), suggesting that growth of RK1065 (pUNCH331) on heme plates was not due to a membrane perturbation gross enough to permit leakage of the periplasmic protein RNase H. Nevertheless, RK1065 (pUNCH331) was more sensitive to several hydrophobic antibiotics than the same strain with pACYC194 alone (FIG. 9). This experiment suggested that the presence of FrpB in E. coli probably allowed heme to enter non-specifically either by creating a pore or by perturbing the integrity of the outer membrane. Uptake of ⁵⁵Fe from hemin in RK1065 (pUNCH331) was not inhibited by KCN, consistent with a non-specific, non-receptor mediated mechanism of uptake.

Bactericidal Assay. In M. catarrhalis, CopB, the protein with the greatest similarity to FrpB, appears to play a major role in serum resistance. Mutants which are missing CopB have decreased serum resistance. Mutants which are missing CopB have decreased serum resistance and survival in a mouse model (26). Standard bactericidal assays were performed with normal human serum on FA19 and FA6807 grown under iron-limiting conditions and were unable to detect any difference in survival; both strains were completely serum resistant. TABLE 1 Bacterial strains, plasmids and phage. Strain, plasmid or phage Description Source/reference FA19 Wild type [Mickelsen, 1981 #38] FA6807 frpB::Ω(FrpB ⁻ ) This study FA6808 frpB::Ω tbpA::mTn3(Cm) (FrpB ⁻ , Tbp1 ⁻ ) This study FA6747 tbpA::mTn3(Cm) (Tbp1 ⁻ ) [Cornelissen, 1992 #13] FA6819 ΔtbpB (Tbp2 ⁻ ) [Anderson, 1994 #2] FA6775 lbpA::mTn3(Cm) (Lbp ⁻ ) [Biswas, 1994 #6] UU1008 Wild type Zell McGee DH5αMCR F⁻mcrA mcrB mrr φ80dlacZΔM15 Δ(argF-lac)U169 Bethesda Research Labs recAl endAl hsdR hsdM supE44 λ⁻thi-1 gyrA96 relAI BN1071 F ⁻ , pro, trp, rslL, entA (Ent ⁻ , FepA ⁺ ) [Klebba, 1982 #30] AN102 BN1071, leu, fepA (Ent⁺, FepA⁻) [Klebba, 1982 #30] KDF541 BN1071, entA, fepA (Ent⁻, FepA⁻) [Rutz, 1992 #46] KDF541/pABN6 (Ent⁻, FepA⁻, IutA⁺, luc⁻) [de Lorenzo, 1987] LG1315/pcolV BN1071, cir (lutA⁺, luc⁺) [Warner, 1981 #63] RK1065 hemA R. Kadner HB101 F⁻, hsd20 (r_(B) ⁻, m_(B) ⁻), recA13, ara-14, proA2, lacYl, galK2, Maniatis et. al. 1982 rpsL20 (Sm^(r)), xyl-5, mtl-1, supE44, λ⁻ C386 ompA lpp [Sonntag, 1978 #53] pACYC184 ori p15a, Cm^(R), Tc^(R) New England Biolabs pBluescript II SK+ ori pMB1, Ap^(R) Stragene pHP45Ω source for the Ω fragment (Sm^(R)) [Prentki, 1984 #44] pUP1 pHSS6 containing gonococcal uptake seqeunce (Kan^(R)) [Elkins, 1991 #19] pEBH21 pBC II SK⁺ derivative (Cm^(R)) [Hardham, 1994 #22] pUNCH319 pBluescript II SK⁺ containing 540 bp EcoR I-Cla I fragment This Study from λfrpB.4 pUNCH320 pBluescript II SK⁺ containing 5.3 kb Cla I-EcoRI fragment This Study from λfrB.4 pUNCH321 pUP1 containing 540 bp EcoR I-Cla fragment from This Study pUNCH319 pUNCH324 pUNCH321 containing Ω fragment from pHP45Ω in unique This Study Bgl I site pUNCH325 pBluescript II SK⁺ containing 2.8 kb Cla I-Mlu I fragment This Study from pUNCH320 pUNCH330 540 bp EcoR I-Cla fragment from pUNCH319 in This Study pACYC184 pUNCH331 reassembled gonococcal frpB gene in pACYC184 This Study Statagene λ ZapII excisable lambda phage vector

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1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes an amino acid sequence comprising a FrpB protein.
 2. An isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 comprising the nucleotide sequence of FIG.
 3. 3. An isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 comprising the nucleotide sequence of FIG.
 10. 4. An isolated nucleic acid-molecule of claim 1, wherein the FrpB protein is the FrpB protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
 5. An isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1, wherein the FrpB protein is the FrpB protein of Neisseria meningitidis.
 6. A polypeptide encoded by the isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim
 2. 7. A polypeptide encoded by the isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim
 3. 8. A vector which comprises the nucleic acid molecule of claim
 1. 9. A vector of claim 8, wherein the nucleic acid molecule is linked to a plasmid.
 10. A host vector system for the production of a polypeptide having the biological activity of a FrpB antigenic polypeptide which comprises the vector of claim 8 in a suitable host.
 11. A host vector system of claim 10, wherein the suitable host is a bacterial cell or animal cell.
 12. A method of producing a polypeptide having the biological activity of a FrpB antigenic polypeptide which comprises growing the host vector system of claim 10 under suitable conditions permitting production of the polypeptide and recovering the polypeptide so produced.
 13. A method of producing a vaccine composition that protects a mammal from infection by N. gonorrhoeae comprising combining the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of claim 1 with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising combining the FrpB with an effective amount of an adjuvant.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide comprises the FrpB protein of N. gonorrhoeae.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the mammal is a human.
 17. A method of producing a vaccine composition that protects a mammal from infection by N. meningitidis comprising combining the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of claim 1 with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising combining the FrpB with an effective amount of an adjuvant.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide comprises at least a portion of the FrpB protein of N. meningitidis.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the mammal is a human.
 21. A vaccine composition capable of protecting a mammal against infection by N. gonorrhoeae, the vaccine composition comprising the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 22. The vaccine composition of claim 21 further comprising an effective amount of an adjuvant.
 23. The vaccine composition of claim 21, wherein the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide comprises at least a portion of the FrpB protein of N. gonorrhoeae.
 24. The vaccine composition of claim 21, wherein the mammal is a human.
 25. A vaccine composition capable of protecting a mammal against infection by N. meningitidis, the vaccine composition comprising the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
 26. The vaccine composition of claim 25 further comprising an effective amount of an adjuvant.
 27. The vaccine composition of claim 25, wherein the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide comprises at least a portion of the FrpB protein of N. meningitidis.
 28. The vaccine composition of claim 25, wherein the mammal is a human.
 29. A method of protecting a mammal against infection by N. gonorrhoeae comprising administering to the mammal a vaccine composition of claim
 21. 30. A method of protecting a mammal against infection by N. meningitidis comprising administering to the mammal a vaccine composition of claim
 25. 31. An antibody directed to an epitope of the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid sequence of claim
 2. 32. An antibody directed to an epitope of the FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid sequence of claim
 3. 33. A method of detecting an antibody specific for N. gonorrhoeae in a sample comprising: (a) contacting the sample with a FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid sequence of claim 4 under conditions to form a complex between the polypeptide and the antibody; and (b) detecting any complex so formed; thereby detecting an antibody specific for N. gonorrhoeae.
 34. A method of claim 33, wherein the FrpB protein is labeled with a detectable marker.
 35. A method of detecting an antibody specific for N. meningitidis in a sample comprising: (a) contacting the sample with a FrpB protein encoded by the isolated nucleic acid sequence of claim 5 under conditions to form a complex between the polypeptide and the antibody; and (b) detecting any complex so formed; thereby detecting any antibody specific for N. meningitidis.
 36. A method of claim 35, wherein the FrpB protein is labeled with a detectable marker.
 37. A method of treating a mammal infected by N. gonorrhoeae comprising administering to the mammal an antibody of claim
 31. 38. A method of treating a mammal infected by N. gonorrhoeae comprising administering to the mammal an antibody of claim
 32. 39. The method of claim 37 or 38 wherein the mammal is a human.
 40. The method of claim 37 or 38 wherein the antibody is monoclonal.
 41. A method of treating a mammal infected by N. meningitidis comprising administering to the mammal an antibody of claim
 31. 42. A method of treating a mammal infected by N. meningitidis comprising administering to the mammal an antibody of claim
 32. 43. The method of claim 41 or 42 wherein the mammal is a human.
 44. The method of claim 41 or 42 wherein the antibody is monoclonal. 